Indicator for magazine-guns



C. H. VEEDER.

INDICATOR FOR MAGAZINE GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 2l' I9I9.

Patel-lted Mau'.y 9, 1920.

marinai-l I MI g IMI WITNESS /NI/E/VTUR UNIT STATE@ PANT FFIQE.

CURTIS HUSSEY VEEDER, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 THE ,VERDER MANUFACTURING COIVIPANY, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION-0F CONNECTICUT.

INDICATOR FOR IAGAZNE-GUNS.

Application filed January 21, 1919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CUR'ris HUssEY VERDER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators for Magazine-Guns, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the ac companying drawing, forming apart hereof.

In the operation of machine guns, under conditions of actual warfare, it is desirable that the operator have knowledge of the approximate number of cartridges remaining in the magazine. In machine guns in which the cartridges are fed by belts there is no need for special devices to indicate the approximate number of cartridges available because the belt itself is under the observation of the operator, but in machine guns of the Lewis type, in which the cartridges are concealed from sight within the magazine there is need for a special device to indicate to the operator at least the approximate number of cartridges which remain in the magazine so that, when the supply of cartridges is about to beco'me exhausted, a full magazine may be in readiness to be substituted quickly for the empty magazine. The present invention has for its general purpose to'meet this need and in accordance with the invention there is fixed upon one portion of the magazine a counting mechanism A,and means are provided whereby such counting device is actuated through the relative movement of one part of the magazine with respect to another. In the Lewis gun the magazine usually carries ninety-seven cartridges and the counting mechanism is therefore preferably arranged to indicate from ninety-seven down to zero, so that a glance at the counting mechanism will show to the operator the number of cartridges which remain in the magazine at any time. The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which it is illustrated and in which- FigureJ 1 is a top view of a magazine for a Lewis machine gun with the indicating mechanism applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a view of the same in side elevation with portions of the casing and of the internal devices broken away.

Fig. 3 is a detail view in section on the plane indicated by the broken line 3-3 of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. e, ieee.

Serial No. 272,242.

Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows, on a larger scale than that of Fig. l.

The magazine to which the invention is shown to be applied in the present instance is the ordinary magazine of the well known Lewis machine gun, comprising a cylindrical casing a, with the obliquely disposed separating' and guiding bars Z) and vertical separating and guiding pins c, a hub Z formed to fit upon the support provided therefor on the gun and to receive the casing a and provided with a stepped, spiral flange e, a carrying bar f, provided with a carrying strap f', and a locking bar g arranged to slide within the carrying bar j'. All of these parts are arranged and operate in the usual manner. The casing a is rotated upon the hub cl by any usual or suitable devices, not necessary to be shown or described.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated the top plate o of the casing is provided, about its central opening, with an internal gear a2 and preferably has secured thereto also a ring a3 which overlaps and covers the internal gear a2.

Gn the top plate d of the hub cl is mounted the counting mechanism which may be of any suitable construction. As shown in the drawing the casing 71, of the counting mechanism, having a window 7L and a central hub if, is secured to the plate Z by a bolt and nut 7a3. Mounted loosely on the hub h2 is a gear z' which meshes with the internal gear a? abovel described. Also mounted on the hub h2 are the two index rings lc and c, units and tens, with the transmission gear 7a2, all constructed and arranged to operate as usual. By means of a pin c" or other suitable connection, the gear c' is operatively connected to the units wheel 7u. The number wheels or rings 7c and la have the digit iigures arranged thereon in such order that when the magazine is full the counting mechanism shall indicate ninety-seven and, in the successive operation of the mechanism, shall number down to zero.

In the operation of the invention as illustrated in the drawing, the magazine casing a receives, in the operation of the gun, a step-by-step movement, which, through the gears a2 and z', actuates the counting mechanisni, causing it to show at the window h the number of cartridges which remain in the magazine. i

It will be obvious that various changes in details of construction and arrangement can be made to suit different conditions of use and that, except ae pointed out in the aecompa-nying claims, the invention ie not restricted to the precise construction shown and described.

I elaiin as niy invention:

l. The Combination with a magazine for machine guns comprising a central supportingI hub and a cartridge Carrying easing mounted roai'abd.)v on the hub, ot a counting ineehanieni mounted on the nubil a driving ggjear carried by the casing and a driven gear arried by the hub in ineSh with the drivinggear and in operative connection with the @ouin-ing` mechanism.

2. The combination With a maga-Zine for machine guns comprising a central supporting hub and a cartridge carrying casing mounted rotatably on the hub, of an internal driving gea-r fixed to said casing and a countingineehanism fixed to said hub, said counting ineehanisn'i comprising a casing with a- Window and a central hub, number rings mounted on the hub and a gear mounted on the hub in mesh with Said internal. gear and in operative engagement with one of the nuinber rings.

Thie specification signed this 18th day of January, A, D. 1919.

CURTIS HUSSEY VEEDER. 

